Teen Wolf - The Packs - Book 1: Changes
by BlackRaven
Summary: Starts at 3x10 and goes AU from there (Though I will borrow more from later chaps) It's one year after the Overlooked and things in BH are very different. When old enemies return -will the group find a way to defeat them once and for all? what will they have to sacrifice to do it? Sometimes everything has to change for things to end up right. Pack fic. PLEASE REVIEW! D/OC S/L S/A/I
1. Chapter 1

Ok, so this is my first Teen wolf fic. I've been kind of obsessed with the show lately so I guess it was just a matter of time until a story idea formed in my head. This story starts after 3X10 the overlooked but I'm going ot borrow from the new things that happened on the show in Alpha pact...

Oh, and just a warning - I'm one of Teen wolf's more... shall we say... mature viewers (I'm 34) - so this story will have adult content. That is - there will be sex in this story, lots of it and kind of graphic - so just be warned. Also - my pairings are usually canon - so while I don't mind a Sterek story every now and again - this isn't going to be one of those...

As always - I don't own anything because If i did - i'd be making money off of this - which I'm not...

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Stiles looked around the room at his friends and thought, not for the first time, how things could change so dramatically over the course of just a little over a year. Not that the year that had passed felt short by any means – but still.

It all started the night the Darach took his father, which was now a little over 15 month ago. They faced off with the Darach (or Jennifer, or Julia, he really didn't know how to refer to her) at the hospital where Cora was still hospitalized for what they found out was mistletoe poisoning. She laid out the deal for them. She wanted the group to help her complete her ritual so that she'd be strong enough to fight the Alpha pack and kill Deucalion once and for all. She finally explained who she really was and why Deucalion was so damn interested in Derek and Scott. She told them that either Deucalion convinced Scott to join him, adding a true Alpha to his pack and adding to his own power, or he would make Scott kill someone, turn him into a killer thus eliminating his threat as a true Alpha. If both those options failed Deucalion was going to push Derek into killing his entire pack, Scott included – again eliminating Scott's threat as a true Alpha.

Both Scott and Derek laughed her off and vowed that none of these scenarios was ever going to happen. But then she took Scott's mother and all plans went out the window. Scott left the hospital with Deucalion that night, seemingly joining the alpha pack in order to get out of what he thought was a hopeless situation.

Their group wouldn't accept it. They went after Jennifer themselves, trying to save both Mrs. McCall and Stiles' dad before she could kill them and before Scott ended up having to do something he regretted in exchange for Deucalion's help. They were lucky. Jennifer bit off a little more than she could chew when she marked Chris Argent as her third guardian – and while she was fighting him (and Allison), Derek, who finally noticed one of Lydia's tree drawings and remembered Jennifer's story, realized that the Nemeton was at the center of everything and led the others there to free Melissa McCall and the Sheriff. They managed to get them out and away to safety, figuring that if they just managed to keep them hidden for a few days, until after the lunar eclipse, then her plan would be finally foiled for good.

However, since Jennifer was still the only one who knew how to help Cora, they found themselves again trying to protect her when Deucalion tried to seize the opportunity to eliminate the threat she posed once and for all. The fight that followed was nothing short of massive. Everyone was involved – Allison and her father, Isaac, Peter, even Stiles and Lydia took part in the actual fighting.

They managed to keep the alphas at bay, but Jennifer slipped away during the commotion, leaving without ever helping Cora whose condition was quickly deteriorating. The fight ended with some serious injuries on both sides as well - Peter was injured badly and so was Deaton, whom they called on at the last minute for help, while on Deucalion's side, Ethan ended up close to death.

Deucalion was furious at their intervention and blamed them for Jennifer's escape. It didn't matter that they had no choice at the matter or that they needed Jennifer back just as much as he did. He was angry, and they were the nearest available target. He swore he was going to come for them and finish this "pesky war" once and for all, while getting Scott to either join his pack as they go after Jenifer, or killing him too.

They spent the next few days jittery, anxious and basically terrified. Every sound that went bump in the night made them practically jump out of their skin.

Scott took it harder than all of them. He blamed himself for everything – his mother almost getting hurt, going with Deucalion, putting his friends in the line of fire again, the injuries on both sides – all of it.

Finally, one night, Stiles woke up with a start to find his best friend sitting on the edge of his bed, his back to him. When he asked Scott what he was doing there in the middle of the night, his friend looked at him with so much pain in his eyes – Stiles heart nearly broke.

"I'm leaving Stiles" Scott finally said "I'm leaving Beacon Hill"

Stiles jumped out of bed like he'd been bitten by a snake.

"I have to Stiles. If I stay – I'm putting everyone in danger by staying here. My mom, Allison, you, even Derek…" Scott tried to explain "You heard Jennifer – Deucalion wants me, and he's willing to kill everyone around me to make me join him. We have no idea where Jennifer is and he's not going to rest until he kills her, no matter who gets in his way. If I go – there's no reason for them to stay here – they'll leave and everyone will be safe…"

"Yeah, sure, it solves all our problems, except.. oh… wait… it leaves one small problem – It leaves you, out there, alone – having to face Deucalion and his pack without anyone to help you…"

They spent the next 4 hours arguing about it. Just like that night at the Motel, Stiles did everything in his power, even begged and pleaded, to convince Scott that his friends, himself in particular, needed him to remain in Beacon Hill. He honestly thought that he was making some headway – but then, only 48 hours later – Scott and his mother were gone.

He left a note for Isaac, telling him that he was welcome to stay in the McCall house for as long as he wanted, and another one for Derek, asking him to take care of everyone. He left a longer letter for Stiles, begging him to understand that he was doing what he thought was right in order to protect his mother and the rest of the group. There was another letter – to Allison, but no one but Allison, not even Lydia, knew the content of that one.

When word of Scott's disappearing act got around Deucalion flew into a fit of rage the likes of which that group had never seen before. He was convinced it was some kind of trick and that Scott was merely hiding from him. He grabbed Cora out of the hospital along with Isaac who happened to be keeping watch over her at the time, and kept them both – thinking that would make Scott come out of hiding. When that didn't help – he gambled on Scott's need to protect the innocent and grabbed a few innocent people – biting them and promising to bite more if Scott didn't deliver himself to him.

The group went after him, trying to save the innocents and their friends. They managed to get their people out but the fight left several of them severely injured, Derek and Christopher Argent close to death even.

Finally, Deucalion realized that Scott was really gone and that with the lunar eclipse just a few days away – his time was running out – he had to go after Jennifer before she found a way to complete her ritual some other way.

The alpha pack finally left and the group was then left to deal with the aftermath.

Christopher Argent spent weeks in the hospital recuperating from his injuries. He suffered several broken limbs and required numerous stitches to gashes all over his body. In the first few days, until he finally regained consciousness – the doctors weren't even sure if he was going to make it at all.

Derek's road to recovery was much faster, thanks to his werewolf healing ability, but Cora, suffering still from her poisoning and the injuries she received by the hands of the alphas, was deteriorating rapidly. Derek spent every waking moment trying to find some way to help her - going over old books, contacting other packs and their druid emissaries, pouring over every last bit of information he could find – but nothing helped. Eventually, Cora succumbed to her wounds and died. Derek's grief at loosing yet another member of his family made the young alpha retreat from the others completely. It was like Cora's death was the final straw that finally broke him completely.

Without his alpha and his pack (as well as his friend and moral compass – Scott) Isaac was lost and starting to show signs of what Lydia cataloged as PTSD (according to her – it was caused by a combination of his father's abuse, the torture he suffered at the hands of the alphas and the abandonment of Scott and Derek). He behaved erratically, started suffering from debilitating nightmares, and was having a hard time controlling his wolf side even at the smallest provocation.

At the beginning, Peter, being the self-serving bastard that he was, was almost no help at all - which left the human members of the group scrambling to take care of everyone. Allison was pulling double duty trying to spend as much time as she could beside her father's hospital bed and trying to get through to Isaac, while he and Lydia did everything in their power to track down Scott, help Derek, and take care of the two newly turned werewolf Deucalion bit as his parting gift to Beacon Hill.

It took a long time, but slowly, things started to get back to normal – although, like after all major tragedies, they didn't end up being the same as before.

Things changed a lot in the past year, as was evident from the sight around him right now. They were all in Derek's apartment (his new apartment – the one he got after the dust settled), hanging out – a new tradition that began several month ago when everyone finally got back on their feet.

Allison and Isaac were huddled together in a corner of the room. She was sitting in his lap as he whispered something in her ear to make her laugh. His hand dangerously up on her thigh. The two of them were fairly a new thing. When Isaac started falling apart after the whole thing with Deucalion, Allison was pretty much the only person who was able to reach him. Slowly and painstakingly, she managed to bring the troubled young wolf back from the brink. She stayed with him during the nights when he had his nightmares, calmed him down when he lost control on his powers, talked with him for hours until he started feeling like himself again. The two of them became almost inseparable, with Isaac depending on her more and more, and with Scott gone – Allison depending on him more and more too, if only to relieve her loneliness. Slowly, their friendship developed into something more.

At first Stiles didn't like it. Allison was, after all, his best friend's girl and seeing her start a relationship with someone else was hard for him. It felt like if he was supportive of this new relationship, he'd be somehow betraying his best friend. Like if Allison and Isaac actually started dating it would mean that Scott was never coming back. He and Isaac had several tense months when Isaac and Allison started getting close, but eventually – he had to admit the truth. Scott was not coming back. He left them. And Allison and Isaac were actually good for each other.

Chris Argent was not thrilled that his daughter was getting involved with yet another young werewolf, but after fighting alongside Derek against the alphas and the Darach, it seemed like he finally gained some measure of respect towards the group, and seeing how Isaac was helping Allison in the tough times after Scott's disappearance – he begrudgingly let it go and contained his impulse to point a gun at the young werewolf's head.

Derek was standing right beside Isaac and Allison, with a beer in his hand, talking to Alex and Jake, the two new members of the pack – the only two out of the 4 bitten by Deucalion in that final fight to have survived the transformation process. Their initiation into the pack was a rough one. With Derek in seclusion and Isaac having plenty problems of his own – they had to go through their transformation with only Stiles and Lydia to guide them. Now Stiles and Lydia were by then pretty versed in the world of Lycanthropy – but they were not werewolves, and as such, pretty bad instructors. Finally, Lydia reached out to Peter and somehow managed to convince him to help the two, as well as to finally step up and help Derek. When Derek was finally coaxed out of his self-imposed isolation, he and Peter teamed up to guide the two new werewolves and soon a connection started forming between him and Alex. It took quite a while for things to start between them. Even then, in the beginning it developed in a snail pace that sometimes made the other members of the group scream in frustration, but, as Allison put it, considering Derek's track record with women – his hesitation was quite understandable.

Over the past year, Derek had also become quite the pack leader, Stiles had to admit. Maybe it was that the events of the past year matured him, or maybe it was because now, after the Argent family was no longer a threat and the alpha pack and the Darach left town, Derek finally had time to take a breath and adjust to his new role. He listened to the others more now, he thought before he acted, and after losing so many members of his pack, he wasn't so quick to enter into a fight that could jeopardize the lives of the members of the group.

He made sure they all trained - all of them, even the humans of the group. And when a few threats emerged over the past year (like the group of hunters that came through town a few months back, determined to pick up where the Argent family left off) – the group managed to deal with it fairly quickly and without any major injuries or losses.

In the one side of the room, Peter Hale was sitting on the steps, looking at everyone with a bemused look on his face. The older alpha was still a self-serving bastard most of the time, but losing Cora, guiding the two new members of the pack and having to help Derek though his grief, seemed to have brought back at least some of his long lost humanity and lately he'd been hanging out more and more with the rest of them.

Then there were the other new additions to their group.

During those final weeks and those final confrontations with Deucalion, Stiles' father wasn't the only one who finally learned about the existence of werewolves. Danny became aware of them too after seeing Ethan get seriously injured, the miraculously heal, after one of the fights. Surprisingly – he wasn't freaked out by the revelation. When the Alpha pack left Beacon Hill, Ethan surprised everyone, and chose to leave both his brother and Deucalion and stay behind. Stiles asked him about it a few months later, wondering what made him decide to stay. He could still remember that conversation

"I didn't stay just for Danny, although he was part of it" Ethan told him, a goofy grin on his face as he mentioned his boyfriend "I told you about our first pack, what they did to me and Aiden. That pack and the Alpha pack – that's what we knew, we didn't have any other reference point. And then I met you guys. You guys are not just a pack – you're a family. You see, what my brother and I went through – it made him want power, so no one could ever hurt him again. Me, it made me want to find some place where I wouldn't have to fear being hurt. I guess when I saw you guys I finally figured that maybe this was that place for me"

It took some time – but eventually the group managed to put Ethan's past actions behind them and accept him as one of them. Isaac was actually the last hold out among them – but even he eventually came around. In fact, a little over three month ago he even invited Ethan to leave the crappy motel he had been staying at since the alpha pack left – and move in with him into the McCall house. The two of them even started training together, an arrangement that was beneficial for both of them, allowing Isaac to finally learn the werewolf skills he never got around to learning from Derek and allow Ethan to adjust to fighting alone, without his brother.

As the group started welcoming him, Ethan, for his part, slowly started accepting not being an alpha anymore and adjusted to Derek's leadership. When about two months ago, his wolf eyes shifted back to their yellow color – he actually treated it as cause for celebration and the entire group gathered for the party.

Then there was him and Lydia…. Yes, there was actually a "him and Lydia" now, a fact that still shocked and awed him every single day. In the middle of all the heart ache and pain that followed the alpha pack's retreat, the two of them somehow found a way to each other. It wasn't much of a leap on his part – after all, he'd been in love with the gorgeous red head since first grade. However, finding out that she was starting to have similar feelings for him – came as a complete shock. She told him once that when the dust cleared and she saw him frantically trying to put the pieces of his friends back together, all the while ignoring his personal pain at losing his best friend in the entire world – that's when she realized what a big heart he had and started falling for him. It wasn't easy between them – Lydia could still be a queen Bitch when she put her mind to it, but like everyone else in their group – she changed a lot in the past 15 months too. Finding out she was part of the supernatural world, loosing friends, the way things ended with Aiden (not well) – all these things changed her, and in Stiles' eyes – only for the better. He still remembered the look on everyone's faces when one day she simply grabbed his hand in the middle of the hallway at school. The class queen dating the class geek – their relationship literally rocked the entire high school hierarchy to the core. It was priceless.

The red head in question just then came out of the kitchen, where she was getting the two of them fresh drinks and joined him in his spot leaning against the wall, looking at their friends.

"You ok?" she asked, handing him his glass and slipping her hand into his.

"Yeah" he smiled, squeezing her hand in reassurance as she leaned her head against his shoulder. "I'm just happy to see everyone here and happy for a change"

She smiled back at him, rising on her tip toes and giving a small kiss on the lips. His free hand snaked around her waist, pulling her closer and deepening the kiss as she let out a small giggle.

They were interrupted by Ethan, as he came up to them, grinning widely "You guys should finish your drinks. We're heading out in a few minutes."

They've only done this three times in the past, but it was getting to be a tradition. Tonight was the full moon, and they were all headed out spend the night in the woods. The werewolves of the group would shift and spend the night running in the woods as a pack under the full moon. They found that the proximity of their friends in the woods helped keep their more savage instincts at bay. The others would usually find a nice clearing and camp out, start a fire going, and spend the night hanging out. Sometimes one of the wolves decided he didn't feel like running and stuck around by the camp fire, but usually a few hours before dawn they would all gather back at the clearing and watch the moon disappear and the sun rise above the trees.

Like before, they went out as soon as it was dark and headed to the woods. They were all in a good mood, joking and laughing as they went deeper between the trees, until finally they were convinced they were in a secluded enough spot. Allison and Isaac disappeared from view for a few minutes until Derek yelled for the young beta to "Move his ass" and the two of them emerged back out, their clothes askew and matching sheepish looks on their faces. Then the wolves went off, bidding the others goodbye and running of into the woods. Soon they could hear the howling and the four of them laughed, taking bets on which howl belonged to which one of their friends.

Little did they know that they weren't the only ones in the woods that night. Little did they know that someone else was there – watching their every move, listening in on their conversation, making sure to stay in the shadows.


	2. Chapter 2

It was Monday morning and Stiles strolled into the empty guidance counselor's office and took a seat, checking his watch in the process. He was a few minutes early to his meeting with Mr. Vernon so he leaned back and stretched his arms above his head, trying to chase the fatigue out of his limbs. They were up until late last night, studying at Isaac's and Ethan's (it was still strange to refer to the McCall's house as anything other than Scott's place – but over time he had no choice but to get used to it). After that he took Lydia home and the two of them kind of lost track of time.

He would have stayed over for the night (her mother would have never noticed and his father was on a night shift) but he was supposed to meet the guidance counselor before his first period this morning to talk about his college applications, a conversation he was hardly looking forward to.

It wasn't that he wasn't looking forward to graduating from high school in a few months. He was. It was just that all this talk about graduation and college and the rest of their lives, seemed extremely surreal after being on the brink of death for so many times in the past three years.

He remembered talking about it with Danny one time. A few months after the other man first learned about the whole werewolf thing. It was during the time when that other hunter group was going through Beacon Hill and they were fighting for their lives at night while still going to school and pretending to be normal teenagers during the day. Danny had no problem with the whole werewolf thing – it was the back and forth between the supernatural and the mundane teenage life that was causing his head to spin.

Now, they were 4 months away from graduation, and the question of what happens next was ominously looming over all of them. They all went through the motions, filling out their college applications and sending them out. But it was more out of necessity than real desire. After all – have you ever tried telling an adult that you weren't sure you wanted to go to college? Such a statement would only bring on lectures and more questions that none of them were really willing to answer.

They were worried about whether they were going to find a way to be together or would they have to break apart, and what that would mean for them. Ethan and Isaac resorted to making lame "werewolf on campus" jokes, Lydia was terrified of having one of her screaming episodes on campus and getting labeled as the psycho, and Allison was freaking out about being the weird girl with the knives… all in all – it was safe to say that the thought of college was not a happy one these days.

"Hello Mr. Stilinski" the voice from behind him shook him out of his thoughts and made him literally jump out of his chair and fly all the way to the other end of the room.

After the alpha pack and Jennifer left, they tried to find out what happened. They poured through newspapers from all over the country and every police report the Sheriff managed to put his hands on both in the days before the lunar eclipse and the month after it, trying to find out who won the final battle. They found nothing. There were no mutilated bodies of any women found that matched Jennifer's description, there were no other ritual killings. They even looked for any reports about a blind man found dead somewhere – but there was nothing fitting those criteria either. Truth was, the only information they really had came from Ethan. Although his bond with his brother diminished considerably once he left the alpha pack, Ethan thought he could still sense his brother alive – but they weren't really sure what it meant.

They spent a long time practically holding their breath. Afraid that either Deucalion or Jennifer would show up again – but when more than 6 months passed after the lunar eclipse and they heard nothing from either of them – they figured maybe, just maybe, they were lucky enough and the two warring sides were too busy fighting and killing each other to care about them anymore.

And now – here she was, the clear proof that they weren't so lucky after all, that their worst fears were coming true.

"Miss Morrell? What the hell are you doing here?" For a second he thought he was dreaming, or that his much deserved mental breakdown was finally happening – but no. She was really there - standing in front of him, as if nothing ever happened.

"Language Mr. Stilinski" She said in that calm, sing-song voice of hers, waving her long finger at him. "After all, I'm a teacher here, and you're one of my students…"

"You're also a homicidal bitch who's helping a megalomaniac sociopath intent on killing all of my friends" Stiles retorted "What the hell are you doing back here?"

"Let's just say I have some unfinished business in Beacon Hill" She smiled sweetly at him, taking a seat behind the desk "By the way, Stiles, speaking of your friends, have you heard from Scott lately?"

"Is that why you're here? Looking for Scott? Well, he's not here… he's gone…do whatever you want to me – you're not going to get a different answer… "

"Relax Stiles" Maran told him "I'm not after Scott, and I'm not going to hurt you… I was just wondering if you wouldn't happen to know where he is, or what he's up to these days."

"No I don't" Stiles nearly yelled, grabbing his bag from the floor and heading for the door "And even if I did know – you're the last person I would tell!"

He stormed out of the office and made it all the way down the hall before stopping and checking to see that he was truly alone. As soon as he made sure no one was listening he took out his phone and called Derek. The line rang several times before going straight to voice mail. He left a frantic message, and sent a text for good measure – hell, he even considered running out to the parking lot, getting into his car and driving over to Derek's right now – but he couldn't. His friends – Lydia, Allison, Isaac, Danny and Ethan - they were all already in class so there was no way to talk to any them for at least another hour – and there was no way he was going to leave school without warning them first.

He checked his watch again – 35 minutes. He had 35 minutes before first period was over. Then, he'll talk to the others and if Derek hadn't called him back by then – he'd leave and go over to his place. He just had to wait for 35 more minutes.

Piece of cake.

Derek was panting heavily as he bombarded with blow after blow, leaping and ducking out of the way of some and blocking others using his arms and legs. He caught a blow to his side which caused him to double over in pain, but he didn't linger. Instead, he rolled out of the way, picking up a metal pole on the way and coming to a fighting stance and baring his teeth.

He swung the pole in his hands, spinning it in his hands, causing his attackers to take a few steps back in order to avoid getting hurt. He made a quick calculation, trying to assess which one of his attackers posed a bigger threat, then turned to him swiftly, swinging the pole in his direction. The attacker leaped over it but stumbled as he landed, taking a few steps back to regain his balance, while the other tried to take advantage of the brief moment while Derek was occupied with his friend to come at him from behind. But he miscalculated and Derek was ready for him.

As soon as he came at him, Derek turned quickly; jamming the pole back and delivering a blow that made the attacker double over in pain. He dropped the pole and grabbed him by the shoulders, sweeping the legs from under him and sending him crashing to the floor on his stomach.

"I give up!" Jake announced, turning over on his back and coughing. "You win…"

"It's not about winning" Derek reached out a hand and helped the young beta back to his feet, while Peter joined them, dusting his clothes. "It's about learning to work in coordination with the others…"

They were in the old distillery, where Ennis's mark of vengeance was still carved into the metal wall. In the last few months they kind of turned the place into their own private training facility. It had plenty of room and was far enough from everything else so that the sounds of them beating the crap out of each other could go unnoticed. Plus, as Isaac put it, being above ground, it was way better that that old underground train station where Derek first tried to train them.

"I thought I was…" Jake frowned as he got back to his feet "working in coordination that is…"

Derek turned to Peter who merely shrugged as he replied "Your timing was off, you waited for a split second too long… you should have started your assault the minute you saw me charge at him – he wouldn't have been able to concentrate on both of us at the same time."

Jake nodded and picked up a bottle of water from the floor taking a long swig. He was a nice guy, a med student who was home for a visit when Deucalion grabbed him and changed his life forever. He and Alex were the newest members of the pack, and as such, they both still had a lot to learn. However, since Alex was female, she was naturally more agile and athletic (and aggressive) – making her training process a lot quicker, and frustrating Jake to no end. The two of them, Alex and Jake, being of approximately the same age, and having gone through their transformation process together, actually developed a sort of sibling rivalry, where one of them constantly needed to top the other. It was amusing to watch.

Peter and Jake both drank water and took a breather, joking with one another while Derek wiped his face with a towel and went to grab his stuff from where it lay in the corner. Peter and Jake were becoming quite good friends, and truth was, Derek didn't really know how he felt about it. His relationship with Peter was much better these days – but it still didn't mean he trusted his uncle completely and without reservations. He picked up his phone and checked his messages – seeing that Stiles both called and texted.

"Is that Stiles again?" Peter remarked "doesn't that kid ever just go to school?"

Derek shrugged but dialed Stile's number anyway. He wasn't an idiot. While Stiles had a tendency to sometimes be a little over dramatic – with everything that's happened in the last two years – odds were, whatever caused Stiles to both call and text this early in the day was probably quite important.

"This better be important" he greeted as soon as the younger man answered his phone, taking a seat some. And Peter let out a chuckle when, even without his wolf hearing, he could hear Stiles' frantic response of "where the hell have you been?"

"Busy, now what the hell's wrong?"

"Oh nothing, just a normal day at school, classes, cafeteria… oh yeah, and Miss Morrell, back in her office…"

Derek was instantly up on his feet "Maran? She's here?"

"Yeah… she's here…" Stiles managed to sound slightly more composed now that he had the alpha's attention "Derek do you think that means that…"

He trailed off but he didn't really need to finish his sentence. Derek was thinking the same thing too. If Maran was back, it meant that Deucalion was probably not too far behind.

"Look, I'm on my way… Warn the others, stay together until I get there ok?" he was already grabbing his keys and heading out of the distillery to his parked car.

"That's it? Sit tight and wait? That's all you got for me Sensei?" Stiles' voice went back to sounding hysterical

"I'm on my way Stiles. Just don't do anything until I get there…" He hung up the phone to find Jake and Peter hot on his trail, obviously having heard the conversation.

"Deucalion's back?" Jake asked him, and for the first time in a long time Derek thought he could hear a hint of fear in the young man's voice. Since Deucalion was the one who kidnapped, terrorized and bit him – it wasn't much of a surprise.

"We don't know for sure yet…" He shook his head as he climbed into his car, trying to be reassuring – but it was a lie, and they all knew it. He was about to start the engine when he thought of something and turned back to his uncle, a worried look on his face "Get to Alex and get to my place soon as you can…"

With that, he left them and drove to the school as fast as he could, pushing the gas pedal to the floor. By the time he got there, they were all already waiting for him, sitting outside in the parking lot with various looks of concern, anxiety and anger on their faces. He wondered for the millionth time how the hell did he end up being the alpha of this rag-tag team of teenaged werewolves and humans, but then shook his head and chased away the thought as quickly as it came. No matter how weird it seemed, or how unconventional it was – this group of rag-tag teenagers saved his life on more than one occasion. If Boyd's death almost two years ago taught anything – by choosing to turn teenagers, he also chose to be responsible for them, and while this group were not all bitten and turned, he was responsible for them all merely by virtue of being the one who brought all the werewolf stuff into their lives to begin with.

"I already called my father" Allison told him as soon as he joined them

"And I called mine" Stiles reported "He's checking to see if there are any new residents in Beacon Hill, any new faces…"

"It's not going to be that simple" Derek shook his head "Deucalion knows that we'd realize he's here as soon a Maran shows up. If he wants to stay hidden – he'll make sure we won't be able to find him until he's damn well and ready to be found"

"So what do we do?" Isaac asked

"Let me talk to her. Find out what they're doing back here" Ethan spoke all of the sudden "I used to be part of the alpha pack… she might talk to me"

"Or she might just rip your throat out because Deucalion is still pissed that you left the alpha pack" Isaac pointed out, but Ethan ignored him and turned to Derek

"Look, I can do this… of all of us – I'm the one with the best chance of getting something out of her… it's worth a shot…"

"Ok" Derek finally relented "But you're not going alone. We'll both go"

Next he turned to the others "You guys should get to my place

"I actually think it might be better if we stay here for now…" Danny piped in

"Get to class? Are you kidding us?" Stiles went into hyper mode again, and Lydia put a calming hand on his shoulder

"He's right" she told them "It's daylight, and the school is packed. Right now it's the safest place in Beacon Hill. Even Deucalion won't dare make a move with this many people around"

"Ok" Derek agreed "Cut out of your last class of the day and head straight to my place. You go together. No one go alone anywhere until we find out exactly what's going on"

"I'll stop at my house after school" Allison provided "Get some supplies"

They all nodded, having formulated a plan, then started breaking off in groups and pairs. Derek reached out and grabbed Isaac by the shoulder, wanting to say something out of earshot of the others. Once upon a time, he considered Isaac the least dependable member of his pack. Sure, his heart was in the right place, and he looked up to both Derek and Scott and tried his best to protect and help them. But, out of all of them – he was the most attached to his human side, the least versed in his wolf abilities and the least physical. However, that, like many other things, changed drastically during the past year. More and more, Isaac was becoming a man and a wolf in his own right. A force to be reckoned with. When Derek thought about it – he guessed Isaac was becoming a perfect blend of the two wolfs that shaped him, with Derek's physical abilities and Scott's heart.

"Keep an eye on them all, and stay close to Lydia and Stiles" he told his young beta, who simply nodded solemnly and left to catch up with his friends.

Derek and Ethan made their way into the school and headed straight to the guidance counselor's office. When they got there, Derek motioned for Ethan to go inside, while he leaned against the wall outside in the hall, trying not to look too out of place while listening in to everything inside.

"What are you doing here?" Ethan went straight to the point

"Why does everyone keep asking me this question?" Maran feigned innocence "This is my job; I'm a teacher after all…"

"Where's Deucalion?" Ethan insisted

"Why Ethan, I didn't think you cared… after all, you did leave him…." Maran teased him, that same annoying smile plastered on her face. When she saw his annoyance, she finally relented "Relax Ethan, I assure you – Deucalion has no ill will towards you… he's not holding a grudge anymore. He's moved on to other things…"

"Scott isn't here anymore – the alpha pack has nothing to look for in Beacon Hill"

"Who says we're looking for Scott?" She feigned innocence again "And why don't you let us worry about what we have and don't have in Beacon Hill, ok?" He was about to say more, but the school bell rang and Maran rose from her seat "Now I know you have more questions but we wouldn't want you to be late for your next class – would we?"

With that she ushered him to the door and closed it behind him, effectively ending the conversation. For a moment, he couldn't see Derek among the sea of students milling around, all heading for their next class, until finally he saw the alpha standing at the end of the hall just out of view, waiting for him.

"I'm sorry" He apologized "I couldn't get much out of her"

"Much?" Derek asked "Does that mean you did get something?"

"Just one thing, I was listening to her heartbeat when I asked her if they were looking for Scott, she said they weren't – she was telling the truth…."


	3. Chapter 3

Ok, so I decided to do a PG version of this story and an M version of this story - if you want the detailed sex scenes and stuff - go to that version...

Also - I haven't gotten any reviews... please please please tell me what you think...

* * *

Somehow, they managed to make it through the school day, without incident, although they came close to one during lunch. Some freshman kid chose this day, of all days, to blow up a firecracker in one of the toilets next to the cafeteria and with their frayed nerves, the sound made them all jump and either reach for a weapon or let out their claws. Luckily they'd chosen to eat together as a group away from the other students, so no one noticed their weird behavior. He couldn't imagine how the rest of the kids in school would have reacted if they saw several of their classmates pull out crossbows and knives out of their back pockets as if it was an everyday occurrence.

They felt slightly better when they saw Derek and Jake idling in the parking lot of the school, pretending to be having car trouble (they had to make some excuse, so people wouldn't start question why two grown men were hanging around a high school all day). Isaac and Ethan informed them that they could sense Alex and Peter's scent as well, not too far away. They also saw Stiles' dad driving his police cruiser around the school a few times during the day – which meant that the Sheriff was keeping an eye on them too. Though they didn't really think of themselves as "the kids", and none of them would ever admit it out loud – it was comforting to know that the older members of their little group were there to lend a hand if needed.

After school they all checked in at Derek's place to try and strategize their next move, but with so little information and so little to go on other than their fears and suspicions – that meeting didn't take long.

Derek and Peter both thought it was a good idea for the group to stick together but Derek's place was way too small for a group of ten. Plus, as Lydia put it quite succinctly "We have no idea if that maniac is even back in Beacon Hill or how long before he'll come at us – what are we supposed to do? Move in with Derek permanently? Are we going to start paying rent?"

So instead they decided on splitting up into groups. Stiles and Lydia stayed with Derek and Alex at Derek's place while Ethan, Danny, Peter and Jake were all supposed to crash at Isaac and Ethan's place.

Isaac, for his part, wouldn't leave Allison behind, so the two of them headed over the Argent place, where the large assortment of weapons and the presence of Chris Argent was supposed to keep them safe. Although, judging from the looks on both their faces as they left – the idea of spending an entire night under the watchful eyes of Allison's father was not making either one of them feel extremely safe and secure. Chris Argent may have begrudgingly accepted Allison's relationship with a werewolf, but Isaac saw no need to tempt his fate by actually touching his Allison in any way front of him. He really felt no need to experience firsthand what Scott went through when Chris pressed the barrel of his gun to his head.

Allison drove the two of them to her apartment building and the two of them made the entire way over there in complete silence. Each of them deep in his own thoughts. Isaac was fidgeting nervously the entire way in a manner that she would have found adorable and funny – if it weren't for the serious circumstances they were in.

She parked her car in her marked parking space in the underground parking lot of the building, then turned to him, grabbing his hand before he could get out of the car. They'd been surrounded by their friends and various strangers all day, and though she appreciated the idea of safety in numbers, she just wanted to spend a few minutes alone with him.

"Hey…" She whispered, giving him a small smile and squeezing his hand, trying to offer some reassurance. He gave her his small lopsided smile, slightly relaxing at her simple touch, and as always, she could feel the butterflies in her stomach when he looked at her. "It's going to be ok…" she said quietly, pulling his hand to her mouth and kissing his knuckles softly.

"The Deucalion situation or us spending the night with your father who's barely holding himself back from killing me on the best of days?" he grinned at her

"Both" she chuckled, then leaned over and gave him a slow kiss on the lips.

When she pulled back he was looking at her in that same way he always did – that mixture of love, lust, wonderment and need that made her feel so powerful and wanted that it sometimes made her head spin.

It was different than with Scott, or any other guy she ever met for that matter. They all, even Scott, assumed she was this gentle wallflower, needing their protection. They wanted her but none of them really needed her or trusted her – not the way Isaac did.

He was open with her, about everything – his childhood, his father, everything he went through before and since becoming a werewolf. He had no doubt that she could defend herself, and even encouraged her to train and hone her skills. Unlike a lot of other guys – he didn't have a problem with her strength and abilities – he marveled in them. He trusted her advice and asked for her help, and every time they were together, every time they touched or kissed he would still look at her with such amazement in his eyes – like he still couldn't believe his luck.

She wondered for a long time if she was truly developing feelings for him, or if it was just Scott's disappearance that made her think she did. But then again, if she was truly honest with herself, she had to admit that her attraction to Isaac began even before Scott left. In the end it was Isaac's gentleness, his vulnerability and big heart, his ability to care and to be honest about himself that finally made her fall for him.

She smiled wickedly at him, leaning over and pressing her lips against his again, this time for a much deeper kiss. His hand move up to the back of her neck, twisting in her black curls as she opened her mouth and allowed his tongue access inside. His other hand cupped her cheek, tracing her jaw line and moving down to caress her neck. Without breaking the kiss she pulled herself over until she was practically sitting across his lap, her legs resting on the driver's seat she just vacated.

"You know your father could come down here any minute, looking for us…" he murmured against her lips when they both finally came up for air, but she just shrugged and pouted at him.

"If I have to spend an entire night with you in the same house without being able to touch you – I'm going to get whatever I can get before we go up there…"

"Whatever you can get?" he wiggled his eyebrows at her suggestively and she gave him that wicked smile again, pulling him for another kiss.

One of his hands was still on the back of her neck while the other snaked under her skirt, skimming her thigh and sending shivers down her spine. She moaned when he started kissing her neck from her jawline to her collarbone. His long fingers trailed up her leg skimming her thighs, teasing her. She moaned his name loudly, arching in his arms. She attacked exposed skin of his neck, kissing and biting, until he finally drew her head back, catching her lips again in a bruising kiss that left her breathless.

"You're going to be the death of me, you know that?" he whispered in a voice husky with desire, leaning his forehead against hers as they both caught their breath. Finally, she got out up from his lap and smiled at him, her smile turning into a full throat laughter when she saw the obvious tenting of his pants.

"Well, my dad is sure going to be the death of you if I let you go up there like that…" she blushed slightly and he loved the fact that even after everything they just did she could still blush at him like this "We could take care of that…" She offered suggestively but he just leaned over and kissed her before shaking his head.

"I'm good, don't worry about me… Just give me a minute here, ok?"

She giggled then got out of the car, starting to pull their stuff out of the back seat. Within a few minutes, Isaac got out of the car and joined her, grabbing the heavier bag as they headed for the elevators.

Suddenly, he thought he sensed something, another presence in the parking lot. He froze, shifting his eyes to their yellow glow and scanning the darkened space behind them, straining his ears to sense another heartbeat.

"What's wrong? Allison whispered behind him, sensing his sudden change in demeanor, already reaching for the knife in her bag.

He listened and looked for another moment but he couldn't hear anything other than the usual sounds of an underground parking lot, so he shrugged his shoulders and relaxed "Nothing, I just thought I heard something… it's nothing… "

With that, they turned around and took the elevator upstairs.

She really wanted to get some sleep – but apparently, that wasn't going to happen any time soon. Maybe it was because she wasn't in her own bed. Maybe it was because, although she masked it well, she was taking this new (or old – depending on how you really looked at it) threat harder than she let on. But sleep just wasn't coming tonight. Finally, she let out an sigh and threw off her blanket, getting to her feet.

She padded down the stairs barefoot, headed for the kitchen for a glass of water when she saw him, standing out on the balcony. He looked to be deep in thought and for a minute, she thought about leaving him alone and heading back upstairs to the guest room, but she couldn't sleep, and lying awake in bed next to Stiles as he tossed and turned was starting to get on her already frayed nerves.

So, she made her way to the balcony and joined him, trying to be as quiet as she could even though she knew he would be able to hear and smell her no matter how quiet she tried to be. For the longest time, the two of them just stood there in silence, breathing the cool night air, looking at the moonless sky.

"You should get some sleep…" his voice sounded thick in the silence that surrounded them "You have school tomorrow"

"Trust me, I can doze off in a few classes and still maintain my perfect GPA" she replied in typical Lydia fashion, shrugging her shoulders, crossing her arms and leaning them on the cold stone rail, placing her chin over her crossed arms. "Besides, I couldn't sleep"

He his face to her with alarm in his eyes "You're not having any…." He struggled to find the right word

"Banshee moments?" she provided for him "No. Trust me. If I was – you'd have heard it by now…Hell, the whole building would have heard it by now…"

He chuckled but he had to concede her point. Her screaming fits (or banshee moments as they often called them since Lydia simply refused to refer to them as premonitions because, according to her, it made her seem psychic – which she was adamant she was not), had a tendency to be quite loud.

Truth was, she suspected this was part of the reason she couldn't sleep. Last time the alpha pack stormed through Beacon Hill her Banshee abilities (or whatever you called them) went into complete overdrive – making her nearly go out of her mind and practically unraveling her life. Her abilities didn't disappear when the alpha pack left, but the attacks were becoming a rarer occurrence – and she had no desire for them to come back in a permanent way.

"I just have a bad feeling about all of this" he confessed in a rare moment of honesty and vulnerability "I don't get why Deucalion is back here…"

"Maybe it has something to do with the total lunar eclipse" she said offhandedly, and when she saw his shocked look she looked at him quizzically "There should be another one pretty soon, shouldn't there?"

Sometimes, like a lot of other people who were fooled by her bubbly exterior, it still caught him by surprise whenever he was reminded of just how smart she really was. "Yeah, maybe it has something to do with that…" he mumbled even as his mind started racing a thousand miles an hour with the possibilities.

Another moment of silence passed between them until she finally spoke in a voice so small and vulnerable, Derek was suddenly reminded how young she actually was, they all were really. "You know, before Scott left, that night of the recital, I told him that I was willing to try, to stop fighting these feeling that I keep having if it meant it would give him enough time to keep people from dying" she was still looking at the horizon as she spoke, avoiding looking at his face.

"I know…" He said quietly "He told me about it… I can make you the same promise he did Lydia, I swear to you that if you do it, if you give me enough time – I'm going to do everything I can to keep people from getting hurt…"

She turned to look at him, resting her cheek on her arms and she gave him a small smile "I know…. "

They spent another moment in comfortable silence until she finally bid him a quiet goodnight and turned to leave, but he put his hand on her shoulder before she could go back inside, turning her towards him and looking at her seriously.

"Whatever you do, just be careful about it. I don't know much about these supernatural powers that you're connected with, but if you get hurt – I don't think Stiles would handle it very well…"

"Please" she scoffed with a teasing smile "That boy would be lost without me…"

"Exactly…" He smiled back at her "So please… For my sake, be careful. That boyfriend of yours is hard enough to handle even on the best of days, I'd hate to have to deal with him if something ever happened to you…"

It was true in a way. While Stiles was never going be much of a physical threat, when it came to Lydia, his primal protective instincts were a force to be reckoned with. If his fiery red headed girlfriend was ever placed in real danger, they all knew that the young man would go to any length in order to protect her, no matter who he had to annoy, badger, attack or kill in order to do it.

She smiled and bid him goodnight again, before heading upstairs to the guest bedroom to join Stiles. He waited until he could hear her breathing and heart rate slow; indicating she finally fell asleep, before finally heading to his own bedroom.

Alex was lying on his bed, fully dressed, sound asleep. The relationship between them was still a fairly new thing, but he still found comfort at her simply being there. He pulled the covers around her and she stirred a little in her sleep, then crawled into bed behind her, pulling her closer to him as he tried to get some sleep himself.


	4. Chapter 4

"We have to do something…" Stiles announced as soon as he clumsily landed on the bench next to his friends at the locker room

"You're going to have to be a little more specific than that…" Danny said as he was pulling off his shirt and stuffing it into his locker, pulling out his protective gear for lacrosse practice.

"You want specifics Danny?" Stiles was getting agitated in that special way of his, the one where he started talking a hundred miles a minute on various topic for about 10 minutes before eventually getting to some kind of point "How about the whole Mr. Morell situation and the fact that I can practically feel her watching my every move every time I walk down the hall? Or how about the fact that Deucalion's back and we have no idea why? Or how about the fact that if Deucalion's back there is a chance Jennifer, or Julia, or whatever the hell her name is, might be back too and the last time she was here she tried using my dad as a human sacrifice?..."

"Or how about the fact that you and Lydia spent the last two nights sleeping at Derek's apartment and it's starting to cramp your style?" Isaac finished with a small snicker, and Stiles turned to him with an accusing glare.

"Yeah, and how're things at the Argent house Isaac? Getting lots of action these days with papa Argent constantly looking over your shoulder?"

Isaac blushed slightly, looking anywhere but at his two friends while Danny tried to hide his amusement at their bickering by faking a cough.

"Look, I like Derek, I do… but staying with him and Alex - it's a nightmare. Lydia spends half the time trying to play matchmaker and get them to finally start doing something about each other, and the other half of the time she's so terrified that they'll hear us – she won't even let me hold her hand…" Stiles said dramatically "I thought that whole idea of having a girlfriend is that I wouldn't have to take any more cold showers…"

"Actually…" Danny cut him off before Stiles started oversharing any more than he already has "Ethan and I might have an idea…"

"Talk to me buddy… I'll take anything right now…" Stiles slung an arm around his friend, but quickly removed it when he suddenly realized Danny was still without a shirt and they were in the middle of the locker room.

"Well, you guys know I've been staying with Ethan the last couple of nights…"

"Yes, yes, you're the only one of us who's been getting any action the last couple of days… we get it… no need to rub it in…" Stiles said earning a scathing glare from both his friends "Sorry… please, continue…."

"Well… my parents weren't too happy that I was staying with Ethan the last couple of nights, especially considering it was a school night and all that… Anyway, we talked about the fact that I would have to go back home at some point and Ethan said that we could try using mountain ash…"

Stiles was instantly on his feet, clapping Danny on the shoulder, ecstatically happy "Of course… how the hell didn't I think of that? We can put a circle of mountain ash around our houses. The alphas can't get in if the house is surrounded by mountain ash."

"It's not bullet proof" Isaac was quick to indicate the problems with their plan "Mountain ash means the alphas can't break the circle but if they have Miss Morell with them – she can break the circle for them. Plus – we can only use it for you guys. Us werewolves can't use it because we'll be trapped inside…"

"Yeah, but it's going to give us some measure of protection, maybe even time to call the rest of you for help if something happens. And if you don't have to worry about us all night long, you guys might be able to actually go out and do something, like maybe track down this psycho and find out what he wants…."

"He's got a point…" Danny pointed out

"Ok, fine… maybe…." Isaac relented "But where the hell are you going to get enough mountain ash to put around all your houses?"

Stiles was stumped for a second, until he finally figured it out, clapping and jumping up and down in excitement "Deaton's clinic! It's been closed ever since he left! You know he must have had loads of this stuff lying around somewhere in his clinic…"

Just then the coach came in, blowing on his whistle and calling them all out to the field, and the three of them quickly finished getting dressed and grabbed their lacrosse gear. When they were out on the field and away from the other players and the coach again – the three of them resumed their discussion.

"Look, we need to tell Derek, I'll call and fill him in on the plan and we'll go and get you the mountain ash later today" Isaac said

"That's not going to work" Stiles shook his head "Deaton's place is werewolf proof, remember? … you guys can't go in there without one of us opening the door for you… "

"Well, then, I'll go with you after school, but it's gonna have to wait because I've got detention this afternoon…"

"I'll ask Ethan to go with him…" Danny offered, then turned back to Isaac with a quizzical smile "And what did you do to get detention this time?"

"Oh, nothing really…" Isaac gave them a shy smile "Allison got detention for passing a note to Lydia in French class, so I got into an argument with Mr. Walsh so he'd give me detention too"

"You purposely got detention so you could be with your girlfriend?" Danny raised his eyebrow at his friend, who simply shrugged, looking slightly embarrassed.

"Like Stiles said earlier, school is pretty much the only place we can be alone without running the risk of her father walking in on us and literally blowing my head off…"

Danny and Stiles both laughed at him just as the coach blew his whistle again, calling them all out to the field, effectively ending the discussion.

They spent the next few hours going through practice and then their final classes of the day, and Stiles did his best not to fidget and look at his watch every few seconds. He could hardly make out what any of his teachers were saying in class and Even Lydia was starting to send him worried glances, wondering what the hell was wrong with him. Truth was, he didn't really know what he was so nervous about. After all, all he was going to do was break into Deaton's clinic, and with all the laws and rules he'd already broken – what was a little breaking and entering to add to the list? And it wasn't even like it was going to be dangerous or anything. After all, the clinic was abandoned for over a year now and Ethan was going to be right there to back him up if anything happened.

It was midafternoon when they got out of school and headed for the clinic in his jeep. Ethan stayed outside while Stiles went around back and managed to get in through a small window without breaking any limbs, which he figured was a good start.

The place was pretty much the same as he remembered, with the various medical instruments all laid out around the room as If Deaton had simple stepped out for a minute and would be back any second to resume his work and take care of some sick dog or cat with a nervous owner looking over his shoulder. Suddenly he realized that this was what he was worried about all afternoon. He was worried about coming in here, and seeing this place which held so many memories of his best friend and be reminded, for the millionth time, that Scott wasn't here anymore.

He took a deep breath, trying to keep his emotions in check and started making his way to the front so he could open the door for Ethan, when he suddenly heard a noise from the office. He froze for a moment, instinctively reaching for some kind of weapon (which he now carried with him at all times), then inwardly cursed himself when he realized he left his backpack outside in the jeep. He looked around the room and grabbed a small scalpel from one of the tables before quietly heading over to the small office in the back.

He opened the door to the darkened office in one swift motion, lunging forward into the darkness with his scalpel at the ready and letting out an undignified squeal when he saw the person standing right in front of him.

"Hey Stiles…"

"S…Scott?" he stammered, still keeping his scalpel raised in his hand in his shock. "What are you doing here?"

"I came back…" Scott said quietly, coming closer and stepping out of the shadows "I need to talk to you… and I need to talk to Derek…"

"Really? You need to talk?" Stiles replied angrily "Where were you the last 15 months when I was the one who needed to talk? Huh?"

"Look, I know you're angry with me, and you have every right to be…" Scott offered, bowing his head "But this is important. I really need to talk to Derek, but I can't seem to find him at his old place…"

"He moved" Stiles cut him off, finally lowering the scalpel to his side. Scott was finally out of the shadows, allowing Stiles a first good look at the guy he once (maybe still – he wasn't sure yet) considered his brother. He looked tiered; the dark circles under his eyes were unmistakable. His hair was longer than Stiles remembered, and he was unshaven and unkempt. His clothes were tattered and torn in several places, and Stiles thought he saw some stains on them which could either be mud or blood – he couldn't really tell.

"Stiles!?" suddenly the two of them heard Ethan whisper-shout from outside the clinic and Scott took an instinctive step back into the shadows "What's going on? Open the door already…"

"No one can know I'm here…" Scott said hurriedly "Please, at least not until I get a chance to talk to Derek…"

"Fine, fine…" Stiles relented as he heard Ethan softly knock on the door, trying again to get his attention "Just let me talk to Derek first, ok?"

Scott quickly jotted down his new cell phone number and handed it to Stiles before leaving the office and heading out through the back, leaving Stiles standing there thinking how in the hell was it possible that, seeing the guy who he once considered his best friend for the first time in over a year, seemed like a recipe for trouble all of the sudden.

Finally he made his way to the front and opened the door for Ethan and the two of them looked through the clinic until they found a large bag of mountain ash, grabbing it and loading it to Stiles' jeep. He dropped Ethan off at his house (which maybe he should start calling Scott's house again now that Scott was back – but the mere thought of all the things that were about to change if it turns out that Scott was back was giving him a headache – so he decided to table that thought for later), and drove straight to Derek's place, driving like a maniac the entire way.

When he got to Derek's he rushed inside, taking the steps two at a time all the way to the condo on the third floor. He barged through the door without knocking (Derek never locked his door) and yelled for the older werewolf frantically.

Finally, Derek emerged from the door leading to the bedroom, stopping to lift a T shirt from the floor and pull it over his bare torso. "I thought you were staying the night at your place tonight?" Derek frowned at him.

It didn't take Derek long to realize exactly why Scott used to depend on his young side kick so much. Stiles may be geeky and goofy – but he was a good friend and fought with intensity and ferocity to protect those he cared about, and Derek came to trust him just as he would one of his actual betas. "What's going on Stiles?"

"Scott is back"

"What do you mean Scott's back?" Derek sounded as dumb fumbled as he looked. If it wasn't for the seriousness of the situation, Stiles would have actually found his expression funny.

"What do I mean? What do you think I mean? I mean he's back, he's here, Elvis is in the building – that's what I mean" Stiles said agitatedly.

Derek started pacing the room, trying to think. They tried to find Scott for nearly a year after he left. They even enlisted Sheriff Stelinsky to use his police connections to try to locate him – to no avail. Deaton disappeared a few days after the last confrontation with the alpha pack and they suspected he was out there helping Scott and his mother stay under the radar – but they had no real clues as to their whereabouts. Every time they heard word about some new alpha, or some new omega, somewhere, they sent someone from their group to check it out. The ten of them took quite a few road trips this last year – traveling all around the country, sometimes alone, sometimes in groups or in pairs. But those leads never amounted to anything.

It was obvious that where ever Scott was – he was determined to stay hidden not only from the Alpha pack but also from his friends.

And now he was back for some reason – and whatever that reason was, it was a pretty safe bet it wasn't a coincidence that he and Deucalion were suddenly back at the same time.

"He didn't' say much" Stiles' words shook Derek out of his thoughts "Just that he needed to talk to you… Derek, he didn't look too good…"

Derek could hear the pain in the younger man's voice. He knew that Stiles was mad at his best friend for the way he left but Scott was still his best friend, his brother, and even through all his anger, Derek could see that seeing his friend again, and apparently in a bad state – was hard for him.

Truth was, out of all of them – Derek was probably the one least angry at Scott (not that he'd ever admit it to the rest of them). Some part of him actually grew to understand the young wolf's decision. Especially now that he had a real pack – a group that was more than just pawns and misfit teenagers transformed mainly to increase his own power, but was actually more like a family. If he had been faced with the same choice as Scott – he wasn't sure he wouldn't have done the same in order to protect those closest to him.

He made his decision instantly.

"We need to hear him out, see what he has to say…"

"We have to tell the other's that he's back – this isn't going to be easy…" Stiles said quietly and the two of them exchanged a look for a moment, knowing it was more than an understatement.

It was a dilemma. In the last 15 months they developed an unwritten rule among their group. No secrets. It was something that Stiles and the other humans in the group insisted on – and since their lives were often on the line just as much as the werewolves of the group – Derek couldn't really argue with them.

However, this time, he thought maybe it would be better if he and Stiles kept things to themselves until they had more information. He was preparing himself for an argument with Stiles about whether they should or shouldn't keep things from the others, but surprisingly – this time – Stiles actually agreed. The two of them would meet with Scott first – and then, try and figure out a way to tell their friends.

They were technically supposed to stay inside and avoid walking around town and they knew it. Derek was pretty specific about that. But after housing 4 grown or growing men for 2 days, they were pretty short on just about everything – so Ethan and Isaac decided to take a little trip to the grocery store to restock on necessary supplies like chips and Hershey bars. Truth was, they were both secretly hoping to catch a scent while they were out, anything that would lead them to Deucalion and his pack, but they weren't expecting their lead to be waiting for them on the front steps of the McCall house when they got back.

"Hello brother…" Aiden drawled, smirking at his brother, and Isaac immediately let out his claws and shifted his eyes to their yellow color, dropping the bags to the ground and planting his feet in preparation of going on the attack. "Tell your little pet here to retract his claws before I come over there and yank them off his fingers one by one…"

"It's ok Isaac" Ethan put a hand on his friend's shoulder, calming him down "Go inside. I'll be there soon"

Isaac gave him a questioning look, but when Ethan nodded at him, he relented and headed inside, throwing one last glare at Aiden as he walked past him and went inside.

"What are you doing here Aiden?"

"Actually, I went looking for you at your little boyfriend's house first, thought I might find you there…" Aiden smirked

"Leave Danny out of this…" Ethan could feel the blood boiling inside of him but managed to keep himself in check.

"You're the one who brought him into this in the first place brother…" Aiden said angrily "leaving your pack for your boyfriend…"

"He wasn't the reason I left, but you still haven't answered my question – what are you doing here Aiden? Scott's gone, the Darach isn't in Beacon Hill anymore… you've got no business here"

"Actually, we have a lot more business here than you think, but that's not why I'm here tonight. I'm actually here to give you a message" Aiden replied, moving away from the front steps and approaching Ethan "Deucalion's pissed that you left but he's not unforgiving – he's willing to let you back into the pack. Hell, he'll even give your little boyfriend the bite so you two can still be together…"

"That's not going to happen…" Ethan held firm "Besides, I can't get back into Deucalion's pack – I'm not an alpha anymore…"

That little bit of news seemed to surprise his brother who came even closer, looking into Ethan's eyes as he shifted them to their yellow color. "You've got to be kidding me… you went back to being an omega?"

"An omega doesn't have a pack, I do… and trust me, being a beta- it's not as bad as you think… it's actually kind of liberating…"

"You're an idiot…" Aiden spat "Deucalion's going to come after your little group of misfits, and if you're standing in his way – he'll kill you just as quickly as he'll kill the rest of them…And even if he doesn't – the Darach is still out there, she holds all of us responsible for killing our emissaries – you included."

Ethan nodded. His brother wasn't exactly telling him anything he hasn't thought about before. "If she come for me – then so be it. I'm ok with that. I'm done killing other people just to save my own ass"

"Then I guess the next time we meet, we're on different sides of the fence…" Aiden shook his head in disappointment, than turned to leave.

"Hey Aiden" Ethan called after his brother "I wish you would have stayed here with me… I wish you would have gotten a chance to feel what a real pack feels like… I wish we could have done this together…"

His brother simply nodded and walked away, leaving Ethan standing on the front steps of his house alone. He took a seat and stayed there for a while, until Isaac came out and joined him, offering him a half-eaten bag of chips, which he declines with a wave of his hand.

"Before my brother was killed, he and I used to fight like cats and dogs, you know that?" Isaac said calmly, glancing sideways at his friend "I remember him beating the crap out of me, but then if anyone else would even dare mess with me – he would go ballistic"

"Thing is, Aiden and I never fought, it was always kind of us against the world… up until the day we met Deucalion…"

"And up until you met us…" Isaac completed the train of thought that Ethan couldn't bring himself to say out loud.

Ethan nodded. He wanted to say more, to explain to Isaac that it didn't mean he was regretting his decision. But as he looked over at his friend, who sat next to him, munching quietly at his chips, he realized he didn't really need to explain anything.

He reached out and grabbed the chips from Isaac's hand, putting a few in his mouth, as the two of them simply kept sitting there, sharing a comfortable silence.


End file.
